Tuscany's espresso hell

[Sunnyfield]

I spent one week in Tuscany, mostly in and around the Chianti region, including Florence and Sienna. What a disappointment! I must have been to the wrong places, because I have not had a single good shot of ristretto or espresso there. Thin crema, bitterness, dark roasts (we are talking Northern Italy!!!) and oversized shots. No wonder every Italian uses sugar in their cup. And to add insult to injury, prices have soared from €1.10 four years ago to €1.60 - €1.80 nowadays.

In Rome I just couldn't go wrong, so this is a big BIG disappointment

[justdoit]

Would have to agree with you there Sunnyfield.
I've been to Tuscany many times, and around Italy quite a bit and the espresso in the tourist part of Tuscany is poor to say the least.

Best espresso I've had in Italy was in Rome.

[Belgik]

Best espresso I've had in Italy was in Rome.

We'll be going on a weekend trip to Rome within two months and I've already read-up on the espresso scene there in TMC, so it is clear to me that "Tazza d'Oro" is a must-visit. I assume it is at Via Orfeni, near the Pantheon, correct?

How would one go about ordering, in Italy, a coffee made from
ristretto 40% volume part
and added steamed 60% volume part milk.
What would this be called?
I ask, because it seems to me that
latte is much more milk
capuccino may be closest?

I remember drinking a ristretto in the Chianti region one morning (after grappa abuse the night before) and ending up very (very) dizzy, quite ill. Maybe it had to do with my liver, though.

[Aadje]

it's called a Macchiato (not a latte macchiato)

[Gouezeri]

Weirdest thing for me, is I've had a few really quite drinkable shots from rifugi at pretty high altitudes and some really quite appalling shots from restaurants down in the valleys!

[bruceb]

Referring to Belgik's question:

I don't know of such a drink, so I can't answer. You can explain to the barista what it is you want and he should be able to make it for you.

A cappuccino doesn't just contain steamed milk, but milk froth as well.

A macchiato or caffé machiatto is a single shot of espresso with a dabble (macchiato means stained) of milk froth and no steamed milk.

If you order a "latte" you will get a big glass of warm milk with no coffee as latte just means milk.

Latte macchiato is a northern European thing and the closest you will get to it in Italy is usually a caffé latte.

Edit: clarification

[Belgik]

thanks Bruceb. I suspected as much... there ain't no such thing as a "caffé con leche" in Italy.

It is, however, exactly what I "brew" at home: a 250 cc. preheated cup (from "Rombouts" of all things...), a double shot of well-tamped fresh-ground arabica mixture I buy, let it run 25 seconds, fills the cup to about 35-40%, then add the previously steamed/micro-frothed milk on top (optional: some cacao). I throw in 7 aspartame tablets (diabetes).
Result: a cup of strong, smooth and sweet coffee. After that, you don't need to eat for at least a while, and I usually only have one a day...

I hope you've not gone running off to the bog to throw up, but that's how I like it, and I'm not alone. Tomorrow I'll be doing my very first roast (bought a hottop) and we'll see how I perform in that department.

[Gouezeri]

Surely the direct translation of machiatto is "marked"
A latte macchiato is a weird thing, in those place that I have seen them served. Often a relatively tall glass of mainly steamed milk, with a relatively small amount of froth, then a separate small jug on the side with a single shot in it (rarely a ristretto... as what is the point in covering a decent ristretto with a whole load of milk! ). The idea being, I suppose, you make a milk drink the strength you require. As a coffee drinker who doesn't really like milk drinks, I find the whole idea perverse though

[CakeBoy]

Yup, very weird those long glass 'versions' with seperate milk